Srimad Bhagavatam – day 491
Bali continued, “My grandfather Prahlada was a supremely knowledgeable Jnani. Terrified of associating with his own near and dear relatives who were of demonic nature he decided, “I seek refuge under Your lotus feet O Lord, even if You kill my own blood relatives. This is because Your feet eternally protect the person from all kinds of fears”.
O great one! Destiny has dragged me towards You, who are my enemy. You have forced me to part with all my wealth in entirety. In a way this is for my well-being. This is because opulence hardens the person’s intellect. Due to this dull, hardened intellect, the person fails to realise the impermanency of this life which is subject to death. He fails to understand this significant truth. He fails to realize that he is nearing death with every passing day”.
Even as King Bali was talking, Prahlāda, who is as effulgent as the rising Full-moon, arrived there. Bali, who possessed an army that was as vast as Indra’s army, noticed grandfather Prahlāda’s arrival. Prahlāda possessed wide lotus-like eyes and was draped in yellow garments. He was dark complexioned. He had beautiful, long arms.
Bali, who was bound tightly with ropes, could not worship grandfather Prahlāda in a befitting manner, as he had done in the past. He simply lowered his head in obeisance. His eyes were filled with tears. He had lowered his head in shame.
Prahlāda, the supreme Jnani, saw Lord Vāmana who was seated there. Attendants such as Nanda, Sunanda, Garuda and others were serving this Supreme Lord who protects noble, saintly persons. In great anxiety and with eyes filled with tears, Prahlāda lowered his head and rushed quickly towards the Lord. He fell flat on the ground and prostrated before Him. He then said to the Lord,
“O Lord, previously You granted the position of Indra which is filled with prosperity, to Bali and now You are taking it away. Both these actions of yours are truly laudable because by completely taking away the wealth, which deludes the intellect, You have actually graced him.
Yayā hi vidvān api muhyate yatas tat ko vicaṣṭe gatim ātmano yathā
Tasmai namas te jagad-īśvarāya vai nārāyaṇāyākhila-loka-sākṣiṇe
O Nārayana! Wealth deludes even the wise man who has controlled his senses. A person who possesses material wealth fails to understand the true essence of the Self. You are the Lord of the creation. You alone exist as the witness within every form of life. Again and again I offer obeisance to You”- said Prahlada.
Even as Prahlāda was offering obeisance, Lord Brahma wanted to speak to the Supreme Lord. Meanwhile Bali’s chaste wife Vindhyavali devi, who was terrified and agitated seeing her husband bound by ropes, addressed the Lord and said,
“O Iśwara! You have, for Your pastime, playfully created these three worlds. Nevertheless some wicked persons consider themselves to be the sole monarchs for this entire creation. Shamelessly they accredit themselves as the doers of action (karta). Your illusionary energy deludes them and throws them into ignorance. When You alone create, sustain and annihilate the entire universe, these unintelligent, wicked persons believe they can offer You something, when in reality there is nothing that can be offered to You.”
Lord Brahma then glorified Lord Vāmana as follows,
“Bhūta-bhāvana bhūteśa deva-deva jaganmaya
Muñcainaṁ hṛta-sarvasvaṁ nāyam arhati nigraham
O Lord of all Lords! You create and sustain all living entities. You alone manifest as the Universe. Bali is now deprived of his riches in entirety. Please release him now from this noose. He does not deserve to be bound by it.
He has surrendered to You this entire earth, all the heavenly planets which he earned on the strength of his meritorious deeds and everything else in totality. There is not a trace of wretchedness in him.
Any person who, without feelings of deceit, offers water to Your holy lotus feet and worships them with darbha grass, obtains the highest planets, isn’t it? Without any feelings of deceit, Bali has surrendered all the three worlds to You. As such he does not deserve sufferings and punishments”.
Lord Vāmana addressed Brahma and said, “O Brahma! I take away all material possessions of that person whom I decide to bless. This is because the person who becomes self-conceited due to opulence loses humility and thus disregards this world. He goes to the extent of insulting even Me.
The foolish living entity, who does not enjoy any independence, takes birth in varied wombs on the strength of his various fruitive activities. He endlessly rotates in this cycle of births and deaths. In this process, by some luck, he may perchance get a human birth.
Due to his birth in a respectable family, his power, position, youth, education, beauty, wealth, exemplary meritorious deeds, servants and other opulences, the human being at times becomes arrogant. In case he is not arrogant despite riches showered upon him, then understand that this humble behaviour of his is purely the outcome of My special grace upon him.
The person who becomes arrogant as a result of good birth, wealth etc., and who behaves without any humility distances himself from all forms of auspiciousness. My true devotee can never ever be deluded due to opulences.
Bali, the most exalted among those belonging to the Diti and Danu clans, increased his fame significantly. He has conquered illusion, which in reality is impossible to cross. Therefore, even though he was subject to limitless troubles, he was not deluded. Deprived of wealth and authority, he was devoid of our support. He was arrested by us, his enemies. His relatives deserted him. Moreover, he was subjected to unimaginable sufferings. His Guru Śukracharya threatened and cursed him. Yet, Bali who is rigidly fixed to his vow, did not deviate even slightly from the path of truthfulness.
Pretentiously I uttered unrighteous principles as if they were righteous. Yet, this Bali who is rigidly fixed to his vow of truthfulness did not deviate from righteousness.
Eṣa me prāpitaḥ sthānaṁ duṣprāpam amarair api
Smāvarṇer antarasyāyaṁ bhavitendro mad-āśrayaḥ
I am blessing him with that position which even Devatas fail to obtain. This Bali, who has totally sought refuge from me, will in the Sāvarṇi Manvantara become Indra, the Lord of heaven. Until that time he will remain as the ruler of the lower planetary system called Sutala, which was created by Viśwakarma. Due to My grace, those residing in this planet are totally free from any physical or mental sufferings, tiredness, laziness, defeat or any other kind of turbulences.”
Narayana